Top Items:
Robin Wright / Washington Post:
Iran Curtails Freedom In Throwback to 1979 — Iran is in the midst of a sweeping crackdown that both Iranians and U.S. analysts compare to a cultural revolution in its attempt to steer the oil-rich theocracy back to the rigid strictures of the 1979 revolution.
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New York Times:
Iran Strategy Stirs Debate at White House — A year after President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced a new strategy toward Iran, a behind-the-scenes debate has broken out within the administration over whether the approach has any hope of reining in Iran's nuclear program …
Michael van der Galien / The Moderate Voice:
A Second Cultural Revolution in Iran
A Second Cultural Revolution in Iran
Discussion:
TigerHawk
Duff Wilson / New York Times:
Facing Sanction, Duke Prosecutor Says He'll Resign — Michael B. Nifong, the Durham County district attorney, announced Friday that he would resign, as he faces disciplinary charges for his handling of a sexual assault prosecution against three former Duke University lacrosse players who were later declared innocent.
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KC Johnson / Durham-in-Wonderland:
Nifong Trial, Day Four — Highlights from Day Four of the Nifong trial: … Yesterday's hearing featured a teary-eyed Nifong reading into the record a resignation statement. He was proud of his son, the disgraced DA stated, and hoped that his son was equally proud of him.
Discussion:
The Belmont Club
Atrios / Eschaton:
Timmeh — Could The Nation team up with Air America and offer to sponsor a Republican debate please? We'll even let Lionel be involved. — Though, this bit of punditing from the patron saint of — Buffalo was even better:
Discussion:
Think Progress
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John Amato / Crooks and Liars:
Hannity's new BFF is Tim Russert... Tim Russert appeared on H&C the other night and repeated Roger Ailes talking points on the Democratic Party's refusal to debate on the propaganda network. — Download (1800) | Play (1402) Download (1034) | Play (845) … Roger Ailes:
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TalkLeft
Mark Leibovich / New York Times:
Polished and Upbeat, Romney Tries to Connect — WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Mitt Romney loves the word "great." As in, "Have a great day," "Things are going great," "I'm feeling great." Mr. Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, also looks great, sounds great and smells great, like shaving cream.
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Alan Wirzbicki / Boston Globe:
From sidelines, Kerry rips GOP field over foreign policy
From sidelines, Kerry rips GOP field over foreign policy
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice
Bill Gertz / Washington Times:
Inside the Ring — China arming terrorists — New intelligence reveals China is covertly supplying large quantities of small arms and weapons to insurgents in Iraq and the Taliban militia in Afghanistan, through Iran. — U.S. government appeals to China to check some of the arms shipments …
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Steve Fainaru / Washington Post:
Iraq Contractors Face Growing Parallel War — As Security Work Increases, So Do Casualties — BAGHDAD — Private security companies, funded by billions of dollars in U.S. military and State Department contracts, are fighting insurgents on a widening scale in Iraq, enduring daily attacks …
Associated Press:
'Hamas was forced to take over Gaza' — Hamas leader-in-exile Khaled Mashaal said Friday evening that Hamas recognizes Mahmoud Abbas as the head of the Palestinian Authority, and that his group wants to cooperate with him for the sake of the Palestinian people.
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David Johnston / New York Times:
Another Justice Dept. Official Resigns — Another Justice Department official involved in last year's dismissals of federal prosecutors is resigning, department officials said on Friday. — In this case, the departure of Michael J. Elston, chief of staff to the outgoing deputy attorney general …
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Jose Antonio Vargas / Washington Post:
An Also-Ran in the GOP Polls, Ron Paul Is Huge on the Web — On Technorati, which offers a real-time glimpse of the blogosphere, the most frequently searched term this week was "YouTube." — Then comes "Ron Paul." — The presence of the obscure Republican congressman from Texas on a list …
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Bob Geiger:
The Saturday Cartoons — We have an added treat today: Another animation from our friend, Nick Anderson. This time, Nick gives us a fun game to play called Bush Administration Missile Defense and it's a takeoff on the old arcade game. It's certainly a challenge to make this defense system work — give it a try.
Joe Gandelman / The Moderate Voice:
Guest Voice: Obama's (and America's) Generation Problem — NOTE: The Moderate Voice runs Guest Voice posts from time to time by readers who don't have their own websites, or people who have websites but would like to post something for TMV's diverse and thoughtful readership.
CBS News:
Mental Illness In The Military On The Rise — Troops Returning From Iraq And Afghanistan Tours With Post-Traumatic Stress — (CBS) Mental health disorders are snowballing as more and more soldiers and Marines are sent back for repeat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports.
Peter Hamby / CNN:
Conservative bloggers revolt over immigration … WASHINGTON (CNN) — Different conservative blogs have different pet issues — government transparency, federal judges, Fred Thompson, to name a few. — But no issue in recent memory has united conservative bloggers like the debate over immigration.
The Atlantic Online:
Contingency? Irony? Solidarity! — Young Ezra observes that "One could easily imagine a left win that's closer to the Dobbsian/Christian Democrat compromise of social conservatism with economic progressivism." And, as he says, it's easy to imagine a situation in which politics takes place …
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Michael Novak / National Review:
The Upward Moving Middle Class — Everybody else may know this, but each time I reflect upon these Census Bureau numbers (2006), they surprise me. Anyone who has an annual household income above $92,000 is in the top quintile of the population—with all the other "rich."